A Year by Year Plan
Many families are writing to ask which resources they should use for each grade. We believe in family-centered homeschooling, choosing as few resources as possible, and combining grades so that we can savor homeschooling instead of stressing over it. We want you to have plenty of time to read aloud to your children, bake together, and take a nature walk, without feeling like you are falling behind.
“I think this was wise; the greatest service we can do to education today is to teach few subjects. No one has time to do more than a very few things well before he is twenty, and when we force a boy into mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life.” ~ C.S Lewis
Babies to Preschool
Beautiful Babies is a gentle, literature-based guide designed specifically for little ones ages 0-3 to help you connect with your baby in meaningful ways while nurturing healthy development.
Preschool and Kindergarten
If you have children four or under who don’t know their letters, consider The Peaceful Preschool Volume 1.
The Peaceful Preschool Volume 2 is a gentle, literature-rich curriculum that continues the cherished approach of The Peaceful Preschool Volume 1, while introducing new stories, seasonal rhythms, and expanded hands-on learning.
Designed for children ages 3 to 5, this 26-week digital preschool curriculum invites families on an enriching journey through nature based seasonal preschool lessons.
You can find a side by side comparison of Peaceful Preschool Volumes 1 and 2 here.
Nourishing Nature Kindergarten Are you seeking a fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate way to introduce your kindergartener to the wonders of the natural world while also teaching basic skills? Look no further than the award-winning Nourishing Nature Kindergarten homeschool curriculum.
If your child is an older kinder student or has developed great fine motor skills, you could add a workbook from Handwriting Without Tears to give them some writing practice.
Ages 5-10
Precious People World Geography Volume 1 is a 30-week, literature-based world geography study for early elementary learners. Through engaging stories, picture books, hands-on projects, art, poetry, recipes, nature study, and Bible lessons, children explore the people, places, history, and cultures of our world while growing in curiosity, wonder, and virtue.
If you have children 6 and under who know their letters and have well-developed motor skills, use Precious People world Geography Volume 1 but add a Nature Guide or The Peaceful Preschool twice a week for preschool students.
If you are using The Precious People World Geography Volume 1 you would also add a math and phonics program for your five and six-year-olds. We recommend Right Start Math and All About Reading. Busy parents could also add an Explode The Code workbook and Handwriting Without Tears so your child has some work they can do while you are working with another student.
Ages 6-12
If you have children between ages 6 and 12, we recommend our literature based history curriculums:
Precious People World Geography Volume 1 is a 30-week, literature-based world geography study for early elementary learners. Through engaging stories, picture books, hands-on projects, art, poetry, recipes, nature study, and Bible lessons, children explore the people, places, history, and cultures of our world while growing in curiosity, wonder, and virtue.
Playful Pioneers American History Volume 1 is a comprehensive literature based American history curriculum for elementary students. Featuring suggested daily readings from The Little House on the Prairie series and picture books designed to introduce your child to American history, from Native Americans to the Age of Industry.
Kind Kingdom European History Volume 1 is a 30-week, Charlotte Mason-inspired study of European history and culture for elementary homeschool students. Through The Chronicles of Narnia, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare, and carefully chosen living books, children explore the people, places, stories, and events that shaped Europe.
Precious People World History Volume 2 (our original Precious People now designated Volume 2) is your go-to for giving your homeschool students a literature-based education. The guide will lead you through daily readings designed to introduce your child to ancient history through the early Middle Ages and along with studies of non-Western cultures through engaging literature and projects.
As your child learns about ancient Israel, Egypt, Greece, Rome and more through books and projects, they will better understand the foundations of Western culture and literature and develop compassion for people worldwide.
Playful Pioneers American History Volume 2 offers a complete, literature-based curriculum for elementary students (ages 5-12), crafted to make American history, science, and geography come alive. Rooted in Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy, this curriculum focuses on storytelling, hands-on projects, and nature study to cultivate curiosity and a love of learning.
Through monthly themes exploring each region of the United States, children learn about American history’s most significant figures and events, paired with science and geography activities that deepen their understanding of the world.
Kind Kingdom European History Volume 2 is a Charlotte Mason-inspired guide to European history for elementary students. The guide will lead you through daily readings designed to provide a 30-week overview of major events in Europe, using heartwarming literature, Our Island Story,Andersen's Fairy Tales, and Tales From Shakespeare as a spine.
You can take a closer look at each curriculums Scope & Sequence and find free Curriculum Samples by clicking on the links.
In order to decide where to start, we suggest looking at the booklist with your child and discovering which topics are the most exciting for them keeping in mind that Volume 1 builds on volume 2. You can also find our curriculum comparison for volumes 1 & 2 for Precious People, Playful Pioneers, and Kind Kingdom by clicking on the links.
You could also decide where to start based on your own home location. Many Charlotte Mason families choose the history of their own home country first, and you could work your way from the closest in familiarity (for most of us this is American History) outward towards European and World History.
What Else Do I Need?
With children in grades 1-3, we add phonics and spelling (the elementary resources include writing and notebooking or narration prompts so you don’t need added writing). We recommend All About Reading and Explode the Code.
With children in grades 4-6, you could add grammar and writing. We love Fix-It Grammar and History-Based Writing Lessons.
For all elementary ages, you will add a math resource. We have found Right Start Math to be the most comprehensive and concrete, but many families have used Math U See and love it.
What About After Elementary School?
Once you’ve gotten through the elementary school years and developed a love of learning with your child, there are a million beautiful choices for the junior high and high school years. We have kept our junior high students learning with our Peaceful Press resources, simply adding in extra reading and writing. Later, we create a course of study based on what our older child is interested in, and what their educational goals are.
We have loved resources from James Stobaugh, Apologia Science, Teaching Textbooks, Khan Academy, and have heard great things about the Classical Conversations Challenge Program, Veritas Press, and Ambleside Online. We also recommend finding co-op classes or tutors in the junior high and high school years for subjects such as lab science or foreign languages.
Click to read more about our recommendations for older students
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I know which Peaceful Press curriculum to use for my child’s age?
We recommend choosing resources based on your child’s developmental stage, skills, and interests rather than feeling like you need a separate curriculum for every grade. Our goal is to help families combine ages whenever possible and keep homeschooling simple, connected, and enjoyable.
2. Can I combine multiple children in the same curriculum?
Absolutely! Family-centered homeschooling is one of the things we love most about a literature-based approach. Many of our history and geography resources are designed to be enjoyed by multiple children together, with additional reading, writing, or independent work added for older students.
3. What should I use with a preschooler?
For children ages 0–3, Beautiful Babies provides a gentle, literature-based approach focused on connection and healthy development.
For children around ages 3–5 who are still developing letter knowledge and foundational skills, consider The Peaceful Preschool Volume 1 or Volume 2. You can compare the two volumes to determine which better fits your child.
4. What should I use for kindergarten?
Nourishing Nature Kindergarten is a wonderful option for kindergarten students who are ready for a nature-based, literature-rich curriculum.
If you have a younger kindergartener who is still developing letter knowledge and fine motor skills, The Peaceful Preschool may be a better fit. Older or more developmentally ready kindergarten students can also add handwriting practice if needed.
5. What curriculum should I use for children ages 6–12?
For elementary-aged children, we recommend choosing from our literature-based history and geography resources:
- Precious People World Geography Volume 1
- Playful Pioneers American History Volume 1
- Kind Kingdom European History Volume 1
- Precious People World History Volume 2
- Playful Pioneers American History Volume 2
- Kind Kingdom European History Volume 2
Rather than assigning each child a different course based strictly on grade level, consider studying a topic together and adjusting the reading and writing expectations for each child.
6. How do I decide which history curriculum to start with?
There is no single required order. Look through the booklists and curriculum samples with your children and see which topics spark their interest.
You can also consider your family’s location and background. Many Charlotte Mason families begin with the history of their own country and gradually expand outward to European and world history.
7. What additional subjects do I need besides the Peaceful Press curriculum?
For elementary students, you will generally want to add math and foundational phonics/reading instruction.
For grades 1–3, we recommend adding phonics and spelling. For grades 4–6, you may also want to add grammar and more formal writing.
Our history and geography resources already include opportunities for narration, notebooking, writing, and other language-rich activities, so you don’t need to add a separate writing program simply to provide writing practice.
8. What math program do you recommend?
We have found Right Start Math to be a comprehensive, concrete option that works well for many homeschool families. Math-U-See is another resource many families have enjoyed.
The important thing is to choose a math program that fits your child and your family’s needs rather than feeling like you need to replicate every subject within one curriculum.
9. What do you recommend for phonics and reading?
For children in the early elementary years, we recommend All About Reading and Explode the Code as options for phonics and reading practice.
You can choose the level of additional practice based on your child’s current reading development and needs.
10. What should we do after the elementary years?
There are many wonderful options for junior high and high school. Some families continue using Peaceful Press resources while adding additional reading and writing, while others build a more individualized course of study around their student’s interests and educational goals.
Resources families may want to explore include James Stobaugh, Apologia Science, Teaching Textbooks, Khan Academy, Classical Conversations Challenge, Veritas Press, and Ambleside Online. Co-ops and tutors can also be helpful for specialized subjects such as lab science and foreign languages.
11. Do I need a separate curriculum for every grade?
Not necessarily! In fact, we encourage families to resist the pressure to purchase a separate curriculum for every child and every subject.
Combining children around rich books, history, geography, nature study, art, poetry, and other shared experiences can leave more time for the things that make homeschooling beautiful—reading aloud, baking together, exploring outside, and enjoying your children.
12. What if my child doesn’t fit neatly into the age or grade recommendations?
That’s completely okay. Age and grade levels are helpful starting points, but they don’t tell the whole story. Consider your child’s reading ability, fine motor development, interests, previous learning, and readiness.
The goal isn’t to make every child fit a particular grade level. The goal is to choose resources that allow your child to learn well while preserving the joy and connection of your homeschool.
